Ji Chi withdrew his glance from Jiang Yu and turned his attention back to Wen He, only to find that he had already resumed peeling an orange on the table as though nothing had happened.
He twirled the blue diamond in his earlobe between his fingertips and crossed his legs, tucking away his long, imposing legs as he watched Wen He's hands intently.
Wen He unhurriedly pulled off the white pith clinging to the orange, revealing a whole peeled orange.
"I want some too."
Wen He broke it in half and placed the half with more pith into Ji Chi's open palm.
So annoying. You get the half with more pith...
Ji Chi was not annoyed. He stuffed all the orange flesh in his palm into his mouth and ran his tongue over his juice-soaked lips, narrowing his eyes at Wen He as though what he was eating was not a sweet orange but the young man before him.
Seeing his satisfied expression, Wen He suddenly felt a surge of anger. He hated being looked at that way...
As though he were some kind of object.
"I finished it. I want more~"
The corners of his mouth lifted as he shamelessly spoke again.
A hint of anger entered Wen He's blank gaze, and he ate all the remaining orange right in front of Ji Chi.
A little sweet.
His puffed-out cheeks kept working as he chewed, and only then did he slowly speak.
"All gone... There's none left."
[Ahhhh! So cute!! Like a little hamster with a blank stare!]
[Slurp, slurp. I like him.]
[Does this Ji Chi not have hands? Can't he peel one himself?!]
[A young man like him probably really doesn't have to peel his own oranges at home. Damn it! Those evil rich people!]
[I hate rich people!]
[Does nobody care what those two in the kitchen are doing? Why aren't they coming out yet?]
[I would've forgotten there were still two people in the kitchen if you hadn't mentioned it.]
Speak of the devil. The comments had only just finished discussing the kitchen.
Now the two of them came out carrying a fruit platter, only noticing the extra person in the living room when they approached.
Looking at Ji Chi seated beside Wen He, Wei Xun greeted him first.
"Sorry, we were mixing drinks in there and didn't notice you."
Zhang Shengsheng tucked the loose strands beside his ear behind it. His large eyes sparkled as he smiled at Ji Chi, his voice unconsciously softening.
"Sorry... We might not have made an extra glass of juice. Would you like me to make you another?"
Ji Chi glanced at the two of them and casually offered a few words before returning his gaze to Wen He's orange-peeling hands. "No need."
Noticing his gaze, Wen He put down the orange and accepted the juice Zhang Shengsheng handed him. It was pale green, with green grape flesh and ice cubes inside.
He took a small sip. It was icy cold and sweet with a slight tang, and tasted very good.
Before he knew it, Wen He had drunk half the glass.
Ji Chi watched his Adam's apple bob, then looked at his juice-covered lips, and could not help feeling thirsty.
He got up and went to the water dispenser in the kitchen, filled a glass, and drank it all.
Seeing him leave, Wen He unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
He set his drink aside and continued peeling the orange.
Soon, more sounds came from outside, and they knew another newcomer had arrived.
Wei Xun was the first to get up and go to the door to see whether his help was needed.
Wen He also stood to welcome the newcomer, his gaze fixed on the white suitcase. It was not that big and looked about the same size as his own little suitcase.
Jiang Yu and Zhang Shengsheng rose together and looked toward the door.
A man in a white short-sleeved shirt walked in. His short black hair had been carefully combed back, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on his high nose bridge. His excellent proportions made him look very refined.
[Holy crap! Holy crap! Who could resist a guy in glasses!]
[Slurp, slurp. A refined scoundrel gong! I like him!]
[Help! The production team is too good at choosing people. How did they get both my husbands and my wives in here?]
[I like this one. I really like this one!]
From the moment he entered, Jiang Yu's heart could not help fluttering. Compared with a thug in a suit, he was still more into the refined scoundrel type...
After all, no one would dislike having a man like that fall at their feet for their beauty. No one would dislike seeing an abstinent man break his vows...
After standing up and watching him easily put his suitcase in place, Wen He sat blankly back down.
He had barely been seated for a second when the sound of another suitcase being wheeled came from outside, and Wen He stood up again.
Watching his silly movements from the kitchen, Ji Chi could not help laughing aloud. Interesting... Maybe this lousy show wasn't that boring after all?
He was now very curious about just what abilities this person possessed to make him desperately pursue his love in that dream, only for his devotion to go unrequited.
His palm rubbed over the cold side of the glass. After draining the plain water in his hand, he walked out of the kitchen.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Zhou Siyu."
Wen He stood where he was, his gaze firmly glued to Zhou Siyu at the door.
Zhou Siyu... Was the dream real...?
With two guests arriving all at once, Zhang Shengsheng and Jiang Yu both went forward, and the group crowded the doorway as they exchanged greetings.
Jiang Yu turned to Wen He, wanting him to come over and say hello too, only to discover that Ji Chi had somehow already appeared behind him with a glass of water.
That sharp gaze made Jiang Yu's heart jolt. He looked away, his heart racing and even his scalp tingling. His steps faltered, and only after he withdrew from the group did he realize that the oppressive gaze had not been directed at him, but at...
Zhou Siyu lifted his suitcase and followed everyone into the house.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, the production team called them all over to the sofas.
"One more guest may arrive a day or two late because of work. You can start choosing your rooms now. Once you've settled in, we can head to the backyard for dinner and games."
At this news, Wen He finally let out a sigh of relief.
Everyone began to disperse. Wei Xun suggested looking at the rooms first; it would be much easier to get their suitcases after choosing the rooms they liked.
[Everyone's here?]
[Let me count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.]
[Only seven? Doesn't that mean someone's bound to end up alone tomorrow?]
[Woohoo, woohoo! I love this kind of drama. You can guess who'll be left alone tomorrow.]
[We can talk about tomorrow when tomorrow comes. Today isn't even over yet. It's hard to guess. What if tonight's little games, hehehehe, change how they feel about each other? You never know~]
Following Wei Xun's suggestion, everyone headed to the second floor. The castle was huge, so unlike previous dating shows, they did not have to share rooms in pairs. There were more than enough rooms for each of them to have one.
After climbing the stairs, Wen He chose the room furthest in. Seeing this, Ji Chi followed close behind and chose the room beside his.
After checking his room, Wen He went downstairs and carried his little suitcase back up.
Finally... I can get some proper rest.
The production team was considerate. Taking the guests' privacy into account, they had not installed cameras inside the rooms.
The first thing he did upon returning to his room was open his suitcase and carefully inspect his tablet for any damage from bumps.
Wen He was poor, and the suitcase he had bought did not have a rigid frame or offer much protection. He was very worried that Jiang Yu's and Zhang Shengsheng's large suitcases might have knocked into and damaged his tablet.
Fortunately, though, there was nothing wrong with it...
After taking out all the tools he needed for drawing, he began discussing the draft with his client.